The invention pertains to a sealing gasket that provides a seal between two members. More specifically, the invention pertains to a sealing gasket that provides a seal between overlapping members of a rail car door assembly.
As can be appreciated, there has always been a need to provide a seal of a rail car door assembly. Such a seal keeps water and other contaminants from entering into the rail car and damaging the contents of the rail car (e.g., a rail boxcar). Heretofore, such gasket seals have existed and one is described in issued U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,951 to Ryan et al. The Ryan et al. patent describes what is called a rail car crown gasket that provides a seal between the rail car doors wherein the seal is at the location of the overlap between the auxiliary rail car door and the main rail car door.
Other United States patents disclose sealing gaskets. These patents include the following United States patents: U.S. Pat. No. 2,935,771 to Hatcher, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 2,263,806 to Hammerl, U.S. Pat. No. 2,640,230 to Eck et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,080 to Beauchamp et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,481 to Bailey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,562,957 to Landis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,573 to Andrzejewski, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,903 to Reynolds et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,643 to Sampson et al.
While these other sealing gaskets provide a seal, there remains a need to provide a sealing gasket, and especially a sealing gasket between overlapping members of a rail car door assembly, that provides an effective seal by providing for multiple sealing points between the overlapping members of the rail car door assembly. There also remains a need to provide a sealing gasket, and especially a sealing gasket between overlapping members of a rail car door assembly, that provides an effective seal by providing for the sealing between the gasket and the retainer that holds the sealing gasket. There is also a need to provide a sealing gasket, and especially a sealing gasket between overlapping members of a rail car door assembly, that provides an effective seal by providing for a gutter that facilitates carrying away water or other contaminants from the rail car doors.